Ferdinand and Isabella of Medieval Spain

Ferdinand- before he was king

Ferdinand was born in 1452 in Aragon. His mother raised him to be both a king and a Catholic. He was a devout Catholic who attended mass every morning. As a child, Ferdnand fell ill many times, but as a youth, he was strong.

As a young knight Ferdinand loved to joust and to gamble. He wasn't an intellectual, but he was curious and eager to learn. Ferdinand was taught to read and write which was unusual for the time. By the age of nine, Ferdinand was named governor of one of his father's kingdoms.

At one point, the people tried to overthrow Ferdinand's father. Prince Ferdinand led forces against his father's enemies and won. From then on he was looked upon as a hero. Aragon needed a strong leader, and it looked like Ferdinand was going to be just what they were looking for.

To his wife....

Ferdinand and Isabella spent a lot of time apart as they each had their respective provinces to take care of. However, when they were apart, Ferdinand would write playful letters to Isabella. His tone was teasing as he would write to her with witty banter. However, his tone of writing would change dramatically as he wrote letters of business. He knew when he had to be serious and act diplomatically.